VIRTUAL is the token at the centre of Virtuals Protocol, a platform on Base where anyone can launch and co-own tokenised AI agents. Every agent token is paired with VIRTUAL in its liquidity pool, so the token sits in the middle of each trade.

VIRTUAL can be used beyond the Virtuals Protocol platform in a number of ways. Polkastarter lets VIRTUAL holders buy physical collectibles such as trading cards, sealed products and video games. New users can get a free mystery pack when they sign up.

You can also put VIRTUAL towards travel. CoinBooking allows VIRTUAL holders to book hotels and flights, with prices up to 30% lower than Booking.com. New users can also get $25 off their first booking.

Here are six ways to use VIRTUAL in 2026.

Key Takeaways

• VIRTUAL holders can buy authenticated trading cards, sealed products, and video games on Polkastarter, with their ownership recorded on-chain. New users will receive a free mystery pack after they sign up.
• You can use VIRTUAL to book hotels and flights, with CoinBooking rates up to 30% lower than Booking.com. New users can claim $25 off their first booking.
• Within Virtuals Protocol, VIRTUAL is paired with every agent token and pays the 100 VIRTUAL fee to launch a new agent. Locking it as veVIRTUAL earns a share of Virgen Points and Genesis Airdrop eligibility.
• Supported crypto debit cards can bring VIRTUAL into everyday spending. Mastercard-linked cards can be used at millions of merchants wherever the issuer supports both the card and VIRTUAL.
• VIRTUAL can also be used for gift cards, prepaid products, and mobile top-ups from more than 5,000 brands across 185+ countries through Coinsbee.

What Is Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL)?

Virtuals Protocol is a platform for creating, co-owning and monetising AI agents, built mainly on Base, Ethereum's Layer-2 network. The project launched in December 2023 and has since expanded to Solana, Ronin and Arbitrum, with more than 18,000 agents deployed.

It grew out of PathDAO, a blockchain gaming guild formed in 2021 by Jansen Teng and Weekee Tiew. When the DAO rebranded to Virtuals Protocol in early 2024, holders of its PATH token received VIRTUAL.

The token is the base liquidity pair for every agent token and the currency used to launch new agents. Its maximum supply is 1 billion, with about 659 million in circulation, and it trades on Binance, Coinbase and Upbit.

How Does Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) Work?

Virtuals Protocol is a launchpad that tokenises AI agents so that anyone can own part of them. Each new agent gets a fixed supply of 1 billion tokens, which work much like shares in the agent's future earnings.

A new agent starts on a bonding curve, where its price rises as people buy. Once 42,000 VIRTUAL has built up, the agent graduates to its own liquidity pool, paired with VIRTUAL on decentralised exchanges.

VIRTUAL is the token that holds this system together. Creating an agent costs 100 VIRTUAL, and every purchase of an agent token is routed through it.

What I like about Virtuals Protocol is that it lets you own a piece of an AI agent, not just use one. If you want to back an agent early, you buy its tokens on the bonding curve with VIRTUAL. And if you've got an agent idea of your own, 100 VIRTUAL is enough to launch it.

1. Buy Physical Collectibles With VIRTUAL on Polkastarter

Polkastarter lets VIRTUAL holders shop for authenticated physical collectibles, including trading cards, sealed products, and video games. Ownership is recorded on the blockchain, while the physical items are kept in professional storage.

Depending on the item, you can request delivery or list it back on the marketplace. VIRTUAL isn't accepted directly at checkout, so you'll need to swap it for a supported cryptocurrency first.

Once funded, you can browse the available collectibles and Lootboxes, with the contents, value and odds shown before you buy. New users can also get a free mystery pack after they sign up.

Check the Polkastarter marketplace for current stock and the supported payment methods.

What stands out to me about Polkastarter is how clear it is about what you're getting. Before you pay for any Lootbox, you can check the contents, the value and the odds. If you enjoy collecting, that makes it a lot easier to decide where your VIRTUAL should go.

2. Book Hotels and Flights With VIRTUAL on CoinBooking

Planning a trip and have VIRTUAL sitting in your wallet? You can book that trip through CoinBooking at prices up to 30% lower than Booking.com. As a leading Dubai-licensed travel broker, CoinBooking gives you access to more than 2 million hotels and flights in 190+ countries.

VIRTUAL is supported as a payment option, along with Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and more than 200 other cryptocurrencies.

New users can also claim $25 off their first booking after signing up.

CoinBooking is the most practical option on this list for anyone with travel coming up. There are over 2 million hotels and flights to pick from, you can pay with VIRTUAL at checkout, and prices are up to 30% lower than on Booking.com.

3. Use VIRTUAL Across the Virtuals Protocol Ecosystem

The most direct use of VIRTUAL lives inside Virtuals Protocol itself. Every agent token on the platform trades against VIRTUAL, so holders use it to back agents such as Luna, a virtual K-pop star and the protocol's first tokenised agent, or AIXBT.

Since May 2025, holders can also stake VIRTUAL. Locking it for up to two years mints veVIRTUAL, which receives 20% of all Virgen Points emissions and qualifies holders for Genesis Airdrops. The amount of veVIRTUAL depends on how much is locked and for how long, and it decays until the unlock.

Those points matter for launches. Genesis, introduced in April 2025, lets users commit Virgen Points and VIRTUAL to new agent sales, and in January 2026 the protocol added three launch models: Pegasus, Unicorn and Titan.

Staking VIRTUAL is a good fit if you plan to back agent launches on Virtuals Protocol for a while. You lock your tokens for up to two years and get veVIRTUAL, with a share of Virgen Points and Genesis Airdrop eligibility, in return. Just remember that veVIRTUAL shrinks as the unlock gets closer, so only lock what you won't need soon.

4. Spend VIRTUAL With a Crypto Card

You can also use VIRTUAL for everyday spending through crypto payment cards. Depending on the provider, you can use the card to pay online, shop anywhere Visa and Mastercard are accepted, or make mobile payments with Apple Pay and Google Pay.

RedotPay serves users across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, but not US residents. KAST offers virtual and physical cards, and Ether.fi combines self-custody with cashback on eligible purchases.

To get started, choose a provider that supports your location, fund the account with VIRTUAL, and then order a card. Check each provider's fees, features, and availability before signing up.

What stands out to me about crypto cards is how little really changes in your routine. You still tap your phone with Google Pay or Apple Pay, or pay by card online, but the money now comes from your VIRTUAL. Choose a provider that's available where you live, since the options differ by region.

5. Buy Gift Cards and Everyday Products With VIRTUAL on Coinsbee

If you'd like to spend VIRTUAL on everyday purchases, Coinsbee is another option. It accepts more than 200 cryptocurrencies and offers gift cards, prepaid products, and mobile top-ups from over 5,000 brands in 185+ countries.

The categories run from groceries and shopping to gaming, food delivery, travel, and entertainment. To buy, pick a brand and a denomination, select VIRTUAL as the payment method, and confirm. Once the payment is confirmed, the digital code arrives through the platform's standard delivery process.

The brands and products available depend on your country, so check the catalogue before you buy.

Coinsbee is the option on this list for small, day-to-day purchases. Gift cards, prepaid products and mobile top-ups are all on offer, and you can pay with VIRTUAL at checkout. The brands vary with where you live, so it's worth a quick check of the catalogue first.

6. Access Early-Stage Token Sales Through CoinTerminal

If you'd like to put your VIRTUAL towards early-stage projects, CoinTerminal lets you convert it into supported assets for selected token sales. Launches are available before the projects reach exchanges, with participation starting from $100 and no staking requirement. Each sale also comes with a refund window.

VIRTUAL is not accepted directly for these sales, so users must first convert it into the cryptocurrency specified for the relevant sale, typically USDT.

Visit CoinTerminal to see which token sales are currently open.

What I like about CoinTerminal is that you can start with a small amount. You don't need to stake anything to qualify, $100 is enough to join in, and every sale comes with a refund window. If you've been curious about early-stage token sales, it's a simple place to start.

Sources

• Binance Academy, What Is Polkastarter (POLS)?
• Revolut, Polkastarter (POLS) Price Today
• CoinMarketCap, Polkastarter trade volume and market listings
• Virtuals Protocol on X, @virtuals_io official announcements and roadmap updates from Virtuals Protocol
• CoinMarketCap, Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) price, market cap and live token data

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does virtual coin do?

VIRTUAL is the base currency of Virtuals Protocol, a platform for tokenised AI agents on Base. Every agent token is paired with VIRTUAL, launching a new agent costs 100 VIRTUAL, and locking it as veVIRTUAL earns a share of Virgen Points and Genesis Airdrop eligibility. Outside the protocol, it can go towards travel, collectibles and gift cards.

2. Can I book hotels and flights with VIRTUAL?

Yes. CoinBooking, a Dubai-licensed crypto travel platform, lets VIRTUAL holders book across more than 2 million hotels and flights in over 190 countries at prices up to 30% below Booking.com. You can pay directly with VIRTUAL, and Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay and Apple Pay are accepted too. New users get $25 off their first booking.

3. Why is the virtual protocol going down?

Token prices move for many reasons, and no single cause can be pinned down here. What the data shows is that VIRTUAL reached an all-time high of $5.07 in January 2025 and trades around $0.785 in October 2026, about 85% lower. Around 659 million of its 1 billion maximum supply is in circulation. None of this is investment advice.

4. Is virtual protocol a good investment?

No one can reliably predict token prices, and this is not investment advice. What VIRTUAL is built for is powering Virtuals Protocol: it pairs with every agent token, pays for agent launches and, once locked as veVIRTUAL, earns Virgen Points and Genesis Airdrop eligibility. Whether this fits your goals is a call only you can make.

5. What is the prediction for the price of Virtual Protocol coin in the future?

Token prices cannot be forecast with any certainty, and none of this is investment advice. VIRTUAL has a maximum supply of 1 billion, with about 659 million in circulation, and a market capitalisation of around $517 million. Its role is to serve as the liquidity pair for every agent token launched on Virtuals Protocol.